about 50 percent, chiefly serai lodgepole pine (35) which indicates 

 fire history. Subalpine fir averaged 14 percent cover, with minor 

 cover of whitebark pine (1 percent). At higher elevations in the 

 permit area, small inclusions of the similar subalpine fir - whitebark 

 pine/grouse whortleberry habitat type are associated with the Abi 

 las/Vac sco type. On these sites, "whitebark pine is a long-lived, 

 serai dominant approaching a 'persistent' status on disturbed, dry 

 sites" (Pfister et al . , 1977). 



The Abi las/Vac sco habitat type occurred on the Zc and Zd gravelly, 

 cobbly silty loam soils, 15-50 percent slope and greater than 50 

 percent slope. Less common associations were with the B loam soil, 0- 

 10 percent slope and W very gravelly loam soil, 25-50 percent slope. 



Suba l pine Fi r/Be ar crass (Abi las/Xer ten) Habitat Type . This type is 



approaching its eastern limits in Montana at this location, represented 

 by the grouse whortleberry phase. In the permit area it occupies sites 

 transitional between drier Abi las/Car gey and Abi las/Vac sco types, 

 and cooler, moister fir types such as Abi las/Cal can. It is found at 

 elevations of 7000 to 7650 feet in the permit area. Floristics were 

 very similar to the Abi las/Vac sco type, except that beargrass 

 ( Xerophyl lum tenax ) was dominant or codominant with grouse whortleberry 

 in the understory. 



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